PASSPORTS AND PAPERWORK

There are nice people in the world today. I’m sure of it. Did you know you can take your own passport picture? All you have to do is follow a few requirements on the official passport website, and then get them printed at your local Costco. Genius! I’m pretty sure I have one of the worst passport pictures-ever. So without begging the passport photographer for a retake, this is a for sure way to capture the best picture and without having to take a million pictures of your kids. 

The day we went to get the girls’ passports, we found out the courthouse closed at 3:30pm. So our plan was to leave the house at 3:00pm and meet Marcus fifteen minutes later. Well, when a blowout occurred, and a quick potty break was needed, and we left the house at 3:15pm. Thankfully, we showed up in line at 3:28pm. Phew! Sigh of relief. We got up to the register and we told her what we were there for and she said, “I’m sorry, we stop taking passports at 3:30pm, and it’s now 3:33pm.” For reals? I knew she had to have seen us standing just two people back for the last 5 minutes! As she saw us struggle with our two wiggly children, she must have had mercy and asked us if we had all the paperwork already. We replied we did, and she said she’d stay and process it. First miracle answered. 

When we handed her the paperwork, she asked if I had taken the passport picture, and I responded I had, and she said, “You’ll have to go to Costco or Walgreens and have them take it.” I told her that online I had submitted my photo and it says you can take your own. She then asked another women in the office who responded that you could! Second miracle answered. 

We gave her copies of our IDs and birth certificates, and she said she needed two copies. We told her we only had the one and she pointed up to the big sign that said, “WE DO NOT TAKE PHOTOCOPIES.” Ok. By this point, I literally wanted to cry. The tears were going to come, I could feel them as she was sending us away. When an old legal assistant of Marcus’ who works at the courthouse came up and said, “Hi Marcus! I’ll make your copies for you!” Third miracle answered.

 Are prayers answered?  We sure think they are. That and maybe these women saw a frazzled mom and had some serious grace for her. 

HE KNEW WHAT I NEEDED

I was thinking the other day about how much we grow and learn over the years. When I was called as a leader for the 12-13 year old girls in my church, I was at a completely different point in my life. Marcus and I had been married just over 3 years, and I quickly had this mentality that I was there to serve these young women. To teach them and come spiritually prepared each week to help them develop testimonies of our Savior. Although, some of them may say I taught them more about dating, how to ride down a hill on a block of ice, and to never trust me when I would bring in cupcakes-working with adolescents was something I had worked towards and even earned my degree in. But what I thought would be guiding them to higher education after high school, turned into a higher knowledge of their Heavenly Father and the love He has for them. It taught me that our plans can be fulfilled but maybe not how we intended them to be.

After working with these young women off and on for seven years, I was released, and started to attend Relief Society. The purpose of the Relief Society is to prepare women for the blessings of eternal life by helping them increase their faith and personal righteousness, strengthen families and homes, and to help those in need. I was hesitant about this new change and felt anxious about associating with women who knew far more than I!

After attending my first meeting, I knew instantly that Relief Society was for me. Specifically, that "I" needed it at this point in my life. Whereas before on Sunday's, my focus was on my girls and making sure they were being spiritually fed, now I was able to focus on my role of becoming a better wife and mother. And I've continued to feel that strength and assurance every week since.

During a particularly hard day when I felt beyond embarrassed and frazzled, thanks to my potty training 2 year old, I was grateful that a fellow sister stopped by to check on things in the Henry Household. And another came by with flowers and the sweetest acknowledgment that she too felt my worries and fears at times. Both done out of the love because of the Relief Society program.

I love the words of Elder Holland who says, "Sisters, I testify that no one of us is less treasured or cherished of God than another. I testify that He loves each of us—insecurities, anxieties, self-image, and all. He doesn’t measure our talents or our looks; He doesn’t measure our professions or our possessions. He cheers on every runner, calling out that the race is against sin, not against each other." As women we sometimes think this life is a race, and often times run against one another. We become so focused on ourselves that we forget what those around us are accomplishing!

Now I know my mile pace will never set any records, but how encouraging to know that instead of running against each other, we can run WITH one another: by lifting one another's burdens and concerns, and celebrating other's success and achievements. Just because one woman is blessed accordingly, doesn't take away from the blessings Heavenly Father has in store for you!

If we can change our mindset from thinking about ourselves and focusing on the things we don't have, to instead look outward, to serve, and support one another as women, we're able to accomplish so much more. And most importantly, we can "become" so much more.